flickr: striatic

Quick on the heels of our "Bosses Want To See Employees' Facebook" story comes this cautionary tale: companies that install keystroke logging software ("keyloggers") on employees' computers may be breaking the law.

After Metteyya Brahmana was laid off (from CyberData Corporation, we believe), and after a dispute with his former supervisor, he learned that the company was using keyloggers on all employees' computers.

He sued for $1.5 million, claiming the keylogging violated the federal Wiretap Act, which makes it illegal to "intentionally intercept ... any wire, oral or electronic communication."

The company tried to have the case dismissed, but the court ruled that the keylogging itself may have been against the law. According to HRTechNews, the case has now moved forward to trial.